One of their better beers, I thought. Rather hoppy but fruity wierd flavors and plenty of malty sweetness to balance. Spice is not over-powering, but blends well with the odd sharp notes. Maybe the orange peel is adding more bitterness than fruit. Rogue claims this is only 18 IBU. So what is the Bitterness Units of orange peel? They claimed this was 8.5% so I don't know why the two percent discrepancy.

Interesting big Saison. [transcribed from notes, tasted in Reno on Valentine's Day of 2006.] (638 characters)

golden yellow color came through immediately. Lots of sediment in here now as well. Huge carbonation profile could be seen with lots of chains of bubbles cascading up to the top of the glass to reinforce the huge champagne like head that came over the top of it. Lots of side glass lacing and a copious foam that would not quit. Very nice aroma here, lots of light grain, hints of grass, light lemon and a touch of grape. Nice airy smell gave way to a very nice flavor. Very light, and perfect for this summer day. First way was a slightly tart fresh grass like flavor. Some hints of peaches, pears, and a touch of tartness as well. Very nice light cereal grain flavor in the middle which became a touch bready as it warmed. (724 characters)

last bottle of my first beer trade, and also the last review of my initial saison kick and obsession that happened

i don't know when this thing was bottled i tried to look for a date could not find it, anyways poured it into my glass the head was not as big and pillowy as the other saisons i had still it had some staying power

aroma was weird i did not get much at all i got a little spice in the background but that's about it

taste was a let down for me it did not taste like that good american saison flavor i had with the hennepin it was a weird combination of flavors that did not go well very spicey but not in a pleasant way

mouthfeel was OK but not refreshing like the others

overall an average beer, this was the first rogue beer that i did not fall in love with, very strange considering i have absolutely loved everything they have done so far

all in all i think this is the only rogue beer i didnt' like they are still my original favorite craft brewery they make awesome beer but this one is not the right one for me, i just didnt like it (1,059 characters)

Appearance: Pours out a hazy, golden body with a frothy, white head that drops down to a thin covering fairly quickly.

Smell: Sweet-scented bouquet of lightly spiced, oven-baked cookies and grains with a ladle full of honey and almond syrup on the side.

Taste: Sweet taste of honey-coated cookies and crisp wheat crackers with a hint of background citrus. Slight almond accents. The once glaring spice component has toned down in the two or so years, leaving just a nice level of zesty spice. No apparent hop character or remaining bitterness. Sweet, succulent finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium carbonation. Smooth mouthfeel.

Drinkability: Boy, oh boy, did I ever dislike this beer when initially released. Frankly, I though it a complete mess; a weak attempt at a saison with an unpleasant spice component. Now, though, it's aged into a smooth, mellow, sweetish brew. (882 characters)

Pours an amber brown color, no head. Little aroma. Very sweet salty taste, like candy. Sweet acidic taste, very unlike a malty beer. A sour taste, but not fruity. Warming up a bit. More malty & beer like as it warms up. Still a little acidic. Didn't realize this was a saison until now.. (339 characters)

This ale pours a hazy orange with a huge, white, meringue-like head. The aroma is of bread, fruit and spice. It is medium bodied and extremely smooth. The flavor is spicy, fruity, wooden, grassy, a touch sour and a touch bitter. Unique.(rated May 25, 2007) (257 characters)

Looks like a hefe with the pour, murky yellow with a massive white head Aroma is...unusual. Fruity and wheaty, with some soap and something sour. The taste is okay. Its mostly malts with ginger and orange flavors, but nothing really stands out. The mouthfeel is sticky and the finish is thin. I wanted this to be better. (320 characters)

Bottle: Poured a deep dirty orangey color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and no lacing. Aroma of spicy yeast with a good Belgian style malt and some weird conflicting spices. Taste is also a weird mix between some Belgian style malt with some weird spices mix and a spicy yeasty finish. Full body with average carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Definitely lacking some typical Saison ester and very unfocused (seems to be a cross between a Saison, Tripel, Wit and a Belgian Strong Ale). Not the best from this usually good brewery. (550 characters)

Pours a nice Hazy orange with white head. Nice citrus aroma and flavor. Sharp carbonation which was a little overpowering. Sweet, ginger like, as well with a very fruity crisp finish. Smooth drink but not one i would search out. (255 characters)

Poured from 650 mL bottle into cervoise.A: Bottle opens with loud pop...tons of carbonation. Pours a pale orange-yellow...cloudy with sediment. Huge frothy white head produced by the high carbonation...decent retention.S: Toast, yeast, and spice (cinnamon and all-spice).T: Unfortunately, this tastes quite bad. Alcohol is most predominant...which says something with an ABV of only 6.2%.M: Tons of carbonation is too distracting. Light body...fizzy.D: I love Rogue, but I would advise people to pass on this one. Oh, and I don't know what this is, but it is NOT a saison. (577 characters)

Smell - A bit tart and musty. Very spicy, but certainly not the most pleasant spice aroma I can think of. Ginger and lemongrass come to mind.

Taste & mouthfeel - Weird, unpleasant spiciness coupled with a somewhat astringent citrus bite. Dry in the finish with more of the funky spice flavor lingering in the aftertaste. Not particularly estery or phenolic. Light-bodied with moderate carbonation. What the hell, Rogue? This is the worst saison I've ever had. (549 characters)

Was expecting a bit more from Rogue. Poured highly carbinated opaque gold. Lots of yeast on the bottom of the bottle. As for taste, The guy who wrote 'dirty sweet tarts' I think had it head-on. Reading the earlier reviews with high marks, and the later reviews with low marks, makes me wonder if they bottled up a sub-par batch and sold it anyway? (347 characters)

Picked up a 22 of this at whole foods. Popped the cap and was immediately met with foam, not sure if this was shaken up or what. Poured a hazy, light gold into my DFH snifter. Tons of head. Initial smell was just plain pungent. Not pleasant at all. After the head settled, sour grapes, lemon, and a touch of generic spice. Honestly can't put my finer on what spice I'm smelling.

Taste was OK, and I'm a noob to this style so don't really have much to compare to. Overall, quite harsh tasting. Tart, sour, but not completely undrinkable. Quite a bit of carbonation, that doesn't ruin the beer, but also doesn't do anything for it. Drank this 22, but no chance I'll buy another. Definitely disappointed as I love other Rogue beers. This one just does not measure up though. (772 characters)

d: I don't know if this is just a bad bottle or what, but this was not good. And at the price Rogue is charging, this is very disappointing. Didn't finish my glass, let alone the bottle. Rogue makes some great beer, but this is not one of them. (518 characters)

Pours a clear gold...this is a saison? Nose is like dirty sweet tarts. Dirty sweet tarts. The candy. Yeah. Flavor is like drinking those dirty sweet tarts. Feel is standard for a regular old beer...but I dont feel like this is anywhere near what a saison should be. Drinkable? Hell no. This is my least favorite saison out of all I have tried. I love Rogue and all they do, but really man. This is just bad. Bad with all capital letters. Bad as in a waste of money. Bad as in a waste of water. Ack. Really. What were they thinking. This is a saison? I cant believe I am considering flushing a Rogue brew. Atrocious. (619 characters)

This pours a hazy bright orange topped with voluminous frothy khaki head that leaves light lacing. The aroma is filled with spice. There's coriander and pepper smells (I'm guessing from the Grains of Paradise) along with some lightly fruity malt.

The flavor is also dominated by the considerable spice. I can't pick out the ginger root but the orange peel is quite evident in the middle of the spice. Some sweet fruity malt. Quite big flavors. Not too sweet as the spice tend to dry the palate a bit. Spices dominate the finish and aftertaste.

This is clearly the best American brewed Saison I've ever tasted. (611 characters)

it pays to be cool w your local beer guy. not being able to find anything new to try, he remembered a case of various rogue and stone ales from last year tucked away in the cooler that he sold to me at a discount ROCK ON!!!!

although, this is much more like a hefe or witbier than a saison, the hops and herbs totally complement the huge amount of yeast packed at the bottom of this bottle conditioned ale. this beer's gettin kind of a bad rep but i say cellar it for a year cuz this 06 vintage i have here is amazing.

A- pours a totally opaque honey-orange-apricot with 2in of bubbly active baby swiss type off white head that settles rather quickly to a sopy ring then disappears altogether. one can barely notice the heavy trails of yeast swirling throughout the brew. appreciate and drink the yeast dammit it's good for ya!

T-sweet & sour orange/lemon (like a tasty dish soap if that makes sense) becomes bitter like unripe orange peel or curacao, lemonade, spicy ginger comes out again along with a kick of sweet pale malt, hay, and a prickly leafy herbal hop finish that fades into a sour orange candy.

MF- chewy, powdery and refreshing haha. it's like a thick glass of OJ i can't believe it's this juicy but a summer thirst quencher for sure. light, tight, yet stinging carb washes it down effortlessly.

D- well done rogue. i don't care what the haters say. american brewing is all about reinventing the style whilst maintaining the traditional methods and ingredients! (with a few mutative exceptions) get it? this is undoubtedly belgian, very herbal, and full of flavor. the yeast is HUGE but it is saison yeast, and that just increases its belgianinity! the saison of the future is rogue festive ale. (2,032 characters)

some nice friends gave this brew to me as a gift. here we go! fat foamy head crowns some gold brew with an amber tint. nice lacing appears as the foam disappears into the drink. a very hoppy aroma is released as this happens, along with some spicy elements

the flavor is quite complex...and different from your average saison (is there such a thing as an average saison? yes). i don't know if i pick out all of the ingredients cited on the bottle but i definitely dig it. very hoppy, and extra additives join in the party

it is not as dry as a typical belgian example of the style might be, but the purpose of the mouthfeel seems to be served (644 characters)

Poured a hazy light amber with a decent head that slowly diminished. The aroma was a little weak, some spice and yeast present. The taste came through much better than the aroma. A good blend of spices, sweet malts, and some citrus hops. The yeast was not overbearing at all. The beer was somewhat light and you could barely tell it was over 6%. This is an enjoyable saison. Another very decent beer from Rogue. (411 characters)

Pour is dark gold, with a solid 1 inch white head on top. The nose is full of tangy barnyard aspects, heavy yeast, green grapes, good stuff.

Taste starts out sweetly spicy, very light citrus aspects (just a tad sour), but mainly sweet malts. The hops mainly add a bit of light tingle on the tongue. Very gentle hop kick on the finish. A very clean, refreshing, Summer style saison flavour...I quite like it.

The mouth is medium bodied, with a wonderful light tingly bitter throughout, I thought it was good. The drinkability is also solid, easy to drink.

The bottom line: A tasty treat that I'm sure I'll be picking up again. I think people who are interested in getting into sour beers might be well served by trying this out first, because it has a very light sour tinge to it that might give you some idea as to whether or not trying the bigger sours (i.e.: anything by Jolly Pumpkin) is a good idea for you. (920 characters)

Appearance: cloudy gold color with copper tint and massive rocky foam head. Bubbles are very active and bustling about along with a few coatings of chunky sticky lacing

Smell: spice and malty caramel sweetness nothing much more. I was expecting more from a Saison style.

Taste: unique sour or pucker taste at first sip. Then I tasted sweet candied malts and few, very few hops. Has lemon and orange twist, but very sutle. After a few more sips the spice flavors are kind of nice and not to overpowering. But kind of a strange brew overall. I can not put my finger on the taste? It is just leaving me hanging. Mild carbonation and medium body make this somewhat enjoyable and give it a few positives.

Lacks in comparison to Belgian styles that I have had in the past. (775 characters)

This beer poured a cloudy orange color with a thick white head  tight bubbles. The aroma is mostly sour with some notes of spice. The taste is spicy and slightly sour. The mouthfeel is thin and carbonated. Overall, this is a refreshing beer  definitely something for a hot summer day. (288 characters)